The Best and Worst Months of My Life
by SarahShalomDavid
Summary: Her affair with Miranda had been the best and worst months of her life but suddenly things changed and she was forced to make a decision.


**A/N: Don't worry, I am working on the next chapter for 'Crystal Blue' at the moment which has three chapters remaining, however, I paused half way through and have two assignments to do so this quick one-shot was my 'break'.**

"I have to Nigel", Andrea said softly with pain flowing from her body language and facial expressions, "I have no choice".

Nigel shook his head, "You always have a choice, Six".

"No", she replied with a shake of her own head, "No, we don't always".

"What happened?", the man asked her with concern in his voice, "Why don't you think you have a choice?".

Andrea looked down as tears filled her eyes then looked up in the direction of the ceiling in an attempt to keep them from falling down her cheeks, an attempt that, of course, failed when the liquid drops slid down her pale cheeks. "We...", the young woman paused for a moment as she took a deep breath, "We were together... for months and my God it... it was the best and worst months of my entire life". "The best because I got to be with the woman I love, it was amazing to even be able to spend time with her", she admitted before biting her lip slightly as her face revealed so much pain and anguish, "But at the same time it was the worst months of my life because I spent each and every moment loving a woman who... will never love me back". "I would give everything, Nigel, everything I have or ever could have, everything I am or ever could be just to hear her say those three words to me", the dark-haired woman shook her head, "I would wait until she was asleep before I whispered it to her, before I could wrap my arms around her, hold her close and whisper 'I love you' to her then I would dream of her saying it back". "I know it's delusional, right?", she said with a heavy sigh, "Trust me... you don't have to tell me that". "So, I have to leave because I can't watch her with him", Andrea highlighted, "I want her to be happy even if it isn't with me... but I'm not strong enough to stay and watch her love him when... when all I want is for her to love me instead". "I can't, Nigel", she said as she broke into full sobbing.

Nigel had known that the younger woman had been crushing on her boss but he had not realised how deeply the feeling for the white-haired woman ran but now he was coming to realise that it was not simply a crush and he was also realising that the situation was far from the simple one that he had imagined. He had thought that Andrea had a choice but listening to what Six was saying it had revealed that she was right, she did not have a choice because he knew that staying at Runway would destroy her eventually, even more than it had done already. "I know", he simply said as he wrapped his arms around her and let her cry into his expensive designer jacket.

It had been eight months since they had all returned from Paris, since the woman had almost left Runway, and since Miranda had convinced her to stay that night in the hotel suite. There had been no romantic confessions or pleas, just a passionate kiss that led to more before they awoke the following morning entwined and lacking any clothing at all. They had flown back to the US that day and Miranda had insisted that her assistant sat beside her rather than in her assigned seat despite minor protests from the flight attendants. Increasingly they had spent more and more time with each other following their return to the States but neither questioned or pushed for more despite the fact that they usually ended up in bed together whenever they did spend any time alone. That is if there was a bed available as even a drive through the city had the opportunity to become much more passionate and naked than what it most likely should have been if they were any other assistant and boss riding in the car together. They were rather grateful for blacked out windows and a privacy screen, although keeping Miranda quiet during any such activities was always quite a task as the woman tended to be unintentionally vocal whenever Andrea touched her a certain way.

"What are you going to do?", Nigel asked her as he pulled back slightly to look at her tear-stained face.

Andrea sighed heavily, "What can I do, Nigel?", she questioned in response, "I have no choice but to leave, after that, I'm not sure really". "I can't go back to Ohio, my parents haven't spoken to me in months", she revealed, "I've had a job offer but it's in London so I have to try and work out if that's what I want to do".

"Is it?", he asked her, "Is it what you really want to do?".

"Of course not", she said straight away, "What I really want is to stay in New York, what I really want is to be able to be with the woman I love... but that isn't going to happen no matter how much I hope, dream, pray, and wish".

"So, given the choice, you would stay here?", Nigel asked to confirm what she was saying.

Andrea nodded, "Yes", she admitted, "I would". "But I can't, Nigel", she highlighted, "Please understand that it's just... it's just too painful and I'm not strong enough to stand on the sidelines watching her love someone who isn't me". "I hope he realises how lucky he is to be with her", the young woman said softly with a sad smile, "I hope he realises that he is the luckiest person in the entire world to have her love and to be wanted by her because my God, I would give so much to be him".

Nigel nodded, "So, London?", he said with a smile, "You better let me know your address, 'cause you know I'm going to be the first to visit".

The woman smiled at him and nodded, "You'll be the first to know it, I promise".

"When do you plan on leaving?", he enquired gently, keeping the woman close in order to provide the comfort that he knew she needed.

"I'm not sure", she admitted, "If I say yes to the job then I have to be there by the start of next month".

"But that's three weeks away", he said with wide eyes.

Andrea nodded, "I know".

"When do you have to decide by?", Nigel asked her carefully.

"Five pm tomorrow, London time", the woman revealed.

Nigel nodded, "What are you thinking?" he asked after a moment of silence".

"I'm thinking", Andrea paused for a moment, "That I should take it".

"You have to do what's best for you, Six", her colleague said with a nod despite not wanting her to leave the country.

"I wish I could stay", she confessed, "I wish things could be different... I don't think I've ever wanted to be a man so much in my entire life", she chuckled at the end of what she had said.

"Trust me... it's not all that great", he said with a wink.

Andrea smiled sadly, "But I would have the chance to love the woman who has my heart and that would be worth it".

"You really do love her, don't you?", Nigel said as he watched her facial expressions.

The woman nodded, "Yeah, I do", she said simply.

"What are you going to tell her?", he asked with curiosity.

"I don't know", Andrea admitted, "I'm not sure I can say anything... I'll hand in my resignation letter to human resources and a copy to Miranda but...".

"But you'll leave me without saying a word", the voice came from behind Andrea as the door opened to reveal Miranda stood there looking as stunning as she always was.

"I...", Andrea stumbled over her words, unable to repeat her reasoning behind it, "How much did you hear?".

"Enough", she said softly before elaborating, "I arrived just as Nigel was telling you that everyone has a choice".

"I'm sorry... it's just that I...", Andrea was having difficulty expressing herself at that moment with the amount of pure emotion flowing through her at that moment and torturing her heart to the point of almost destroying it.

"No", Miranda said as she moved closer, "Don't make excuses, please".

Nigel got up from the sofa and moved away slightly so that his boss could take his seat.

"If I had known", the older woman said softly as she cupped her assistant's cheek, "If I had known that you truly loved me then...".

"Then what, Miranda?", Andrea questioned, "You would have broken it off sooner? I wouldn't take even a millisecond of the time I spent with you back, I wouldn't want to because no matter how torturous it was to know you'd never love me back, every moment I spent with you was the most precious gift that anyone could ever give me".

Miranda put her fingers over the dark-haired woman's lips, "No", she said gently, "You're wrong". She continued speaking as Andrea looked rather confused, "I wouldn't have broken it off with you... I...", instead of continuing her sentence she opted for actions instead of words by leaning forward and pressing a soft kiss to the other woman's lips, "I would have told you that I love you too".

Andrea could not help but smile as soon as the words reached her ears, she had dreamed of hearing those words but to actually hear them was so much better than she could have possibly imagined and it made her heart feel like it was floating despite the fact that it was only moments ago that it felt like it was being tortured.

Nigel smiled brightly as he watched the two women kiss softly and lovingly before Miranda wrapped the younger woman in a secure embrace, holding her close as they both sat on the sofa, "I guess you'll be turning down the job offer in London then", he said with a slight smirk.

The dark-haired woman pulled back slightly to look into Miranda's beautiful blue eyes, "Am I?", she asked her softly, the question containing much more than just the job offer.

"Yes", Miranda said simply, "You most definitely will be".


End file.
